This invention is concerned with a moving mechanism for use in a glassware manufacturing machine of the individual section type for moving an operative member between an operative position above a mould of the machine and an out-of-the way position.
Glassware manufacturing machines of the individual section type are well known and comprise a number of individual glass moulding units, or sections, arranged side by side. Each section comprises at least one blank mould to which a gob of molten glass is supplied to be moulded into a parison and at least one blow mould to which parisons moulded in the blank mould are transferred to be blown into articles of glassware. Machines of the individual section type can operate either in a blow-blow operation in which the gobs are blown into parisons and the parisons are then blown or in a press-blown operation in which the gobs are pressed into parisons and the parisons are then blown. In a blow-blow operation, a funnel is positioned in an operative position on top of the blank mould to guide the gob into the blank mould. When the gob has entered the blank mould, a baffle is positioned in an operative position thereof on top of the funnel and air is blown through the baffle into the mould to force the glass downwards in the mould into contact with a plunger located at the bottom of the blank mould. Next, the baffle is removed from the funnel and the funnel is removed to an out-of-the-way position thereof. The baffle is now positioned in an operative position thereof on top of the mould in which the baffle closes the top of the mould and the plunger is withdrawn from the glass leaving a space into which air is blown to cause the glass to take up the shape of the mould. Thus, a parison is created. The baffle is now moved to an out-of-the-way position thereof and the parison is transferred to a blow mould. When the parison is in the blow mould, a blowhead is moved into an operative position thereof on top of the mould so that air can be blown from the blowhead into the parison to cause it to expand to the shape of the mould thereby creating an article of glassware. The blowhead is then removed to an out-of-the-way position thereof and the completed article removed from the section. In a press-blow operation, a funnel is used to guide a gob into the blank mould and is then removed to its out-of-the-way position. A baffle is then moved into an operative position on top of the blank mould and a plunger is moved into the blank mould from below to press the glass against the mould to form it into a parison. The baffle is then removed to its out-of-the-way position and the parison transferred to a blow mould in which a blowing operation similar to that of a blow-blow operation takes place.
As can be seen from the descriptions above of the blow-blow and press-blow operations of an individual section type machine, such a machine comprises a moving mechanism for moving a funnel between an operative position above a blank mould of the machine and an out-of-the-way position thereof, a moving mechanism for moving a baffle between an operative position above a blank mould of the machine, possibly a further operative position on top of a funnel on a blank mould of the machine, and an out-of-the-way position, and a moving mechanism for moving a blowhead between an operative position above a blow mould of the machine and an out-of-the-way position. This invention is concerned with such moving mechanisms.
In a conventional glassware forming machine of the individual section type, the moving mechanisms for the funnel, baffle and blowhead are similar. Each comprises a vertically-disposed piston and cylinder assembly having a first piston rod extending upwardly therefrom and a second piston rod extending downwardly therefrom. An arm is fixed to the first piston rod and extends horizontally therefrom providing a support for the operative member, i.e. a funnel, a baffle or a blowhead. A cam follower is mounted on the second piston rod to engage a cam track which causes the piston and piston rods to be turned about a vertical axis as the piston moves up or down the cylinder. Thus, operation of the piston and cylinder causes the first piston rod to be moved vertically while turning about a vertical axis. The operative member is, therefore, moved in a path which has a vertical component and a rotary component about a vertical axis. The end portion of the cam track is arranged to be vertical so that when this part of the cam track is reached the motion is entirely vertical. When the piston is at an upper end of the cylinder, the operative member is at an out-of-the-way position thereof above and out of alignment with its associated mould. As the piston is moved towards the bottom of the cylinder, the operative member is moved downwardly and also turned into alignment with its associated mould and finally moves vertically into its operative position as the cam enters the vertical part of the cam track.
The conventional moving mechanisms described above have the disadvantage that considerable space is required for the swinging motion of the operative member in a horizontal plane and, as is common practice, when two, three or even four operative members are mounted side by side on the same support, this problem is more serious. The provision of sufficient space for the swivelling motion of the operative member is particularly difficult as it is not permissible to allow the operative member to encrouch above an adjacent section of the machine. Furthermore, the conventional moving mechanisms involve a relatively complex combination of cam and piston and cylinder assembly which is subject to wear. The problem of providing sufficient space for the swivel of the operative member has been addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,494 by the provision of complex linkage means for turning the support for the operative members as the operative members are moved to their out-of-the-way positions so as to reduce the space required. However, the arrangement described in this U.S. patent still requires an undesirable amount of space in a horizontal plane and retains the undesirable combination of piston and cylinder and cam arrangement.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a moving mechanism for use in a glassware manufacturing machine of the individual section type for moving an operative member between an operative position above a mould of the machine and out-of-the-way position in which the space in a horizontal plane required for the movement is reduced and the use of a cam arrangement is avoided.